Time controlled and operated electric switch



1931. J. D HlNDLEY-SMITH ET AL 36,778

TIME CONTROLLED AND OPERATED ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 25, 1929 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLMESQOF ST. ILABYLEBONE, LONDON, ENGLAND TIME CONTROLLED AND OPERATED ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed July 25, 1929, Serial No. 380,931, and in Great Britain July 24, 1928.

This invention relates to time controlled and operated electric switches particularly adapted for use in connection with the electric lighting systems of motor road vehicles,

and it has for its object to enable the lamps tobe automatically lighted and extinguished at any desired predetermined times.

The switch device constructed in accordance with this invention may be applied with but little alteration to practically any existing-clock and is therefore less complicated and cheaper to produce than those 0 known construction and comprises essentially a spindle arranged apart from the usual clock mechanism carrying the switch elements, a train of gears connecting said spindle with the arbor of the hour hand of the clock and means external to the casing for setting the switch elements to operate at a predetermined time.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of this invention Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section on an enlarged scale of the setting device.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the operating cam, and,

Figure 5 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of the time setting indicator.

In the embodiment illustrated, the device comprises a spindle 1 mounted within the casing 2 of the clockwhich may be the dashboard clock-upon which is loosely mounted a toothed wheel 3 geared with the toothed wheels 4 and 5, the latter being fixed on the arbor 6 of the hour hand 7 A cam is mounted on the spindle 1 and in the construction illustrated the toothed wheel 3 is furnished with a cam surface 8, adapted to coact with a spring controlled plunger 9 which forms one part of an electric switch, fixed on the spindle 1, the other part 10 of the switch also being fixed on the spindle 1. The spindle 1 is furnished exterior to the casing '2 with means whereby the relative positions of the cam 8 and the spring controlled plunger 9 can be set to close the switch at any desired time. In the construction illustrated the spindle 1 is provided on the interior of the casing with a thrust washer 11 and exterior to and fixed to the casing is a part 12 which forms the fixed part of the indicator. The outer surface of this part is serrated and coacts with the correspondingly serrated surface on a part 13 which constitutes the movable part of the indicator and which is free to slide axially on the spindle 1 but has no rotative movement apart therefrom, the two parts being maintained in engagement by a suitably disposed spring 14. The part 13, as shown in Figure 4, is provided with a milled edge 15 and on its outer surface with figures corresponding with the face of the clock, a suitable indicating pointer 16 being provided for correctly positioning the part 13 relatively to the part 12.

In operation, the wheel 3 being free on the spindle 1, and the wheels 3, 4 and 5 being of the same size, rotate at a speed equal to that of the hour hand 7 and therefore makes a complete revolution in twelve hours; If, therefore, the indicator 13' is set say for 8 oclock the cam 8 will be brought under the contact at that hour and the circuit will be completed through the contacts 9 and 10 and the circuit wires 17 (which pass through the back wall of the clock), and will remain completed for the time predetermined by the length of the cam.

The tooth wheel 3 may, if desired, be arranged to make a complete revolution in twenty-four hours by changing the ratio of the gearing, and, the setting device may be arranged at the back of the clock in which case the casing 2 of said clock would be hinged to the dashboard or to a part carried thereby.

Owing to the connection of the wires 17 to the contacts it will be obvious that means, suchas the stop 18, mut be provided for limiting the rotation of the spindle 1.

In order to prevent the lights being switched on when they are not required it is preferable to include the clock switch in the main circuit and to provide a suitable switch so that said clock switch may be included or excluded from the main circuit as desired.

, and, an indicating pointer coacting with the 7 figures on said part so as to enable the time "nism, a cam element mounted on said spindle for moving one of said switch elements into contact with the other switch element and means for varying the position of the switch elements relatively to the cam element so as to predetermine the time at which said switch elements shall operate. v I I '2. A time controlled electric switch for use in connection with electric lighting systems on motor road vehicles comprising a complete clock mechanism and the combinationtherewith of a switch mechanism comprising a j spindle, .on said spindle-so as'to rotate therewith, a

.train of gearing interposed between said spindle and the clock mechanism, a ,ment'mounted on the spindle, means slidably mounted on the end of the spindle exterior to the clock casing but having no rotative a pair of switch elements mounted cam elemovement apart therefrom for varying the position of the switch elements relatively to the cam element, figures corresponding with the face of the clock on said slidable part,

at which said switch elements shall operate -to be determined.

3., time controlled electric switch for .use on motor road vehicles having an electric lighting circuit comprising a complete clock mechanism and the combination thereiwith'of a switch mechanism comprising a spindle arranged parallel with the arbor of theclock mechanism, a pair of switch elef ments included in the main mounted on said spindle so as to rotate therewith, a toothed wheel secured so as to rotate hour hand, a toothed on the spindle, an inwith the arbor of the wheel loosely mounted termediate toothed wheel meshing with and ment formed in one connecting said toothed wheels, a cam elewith the toothed wheel mounted on the spindle, means on the end of the spindle exterior to the casing having an axial but no rotative movement apart therefrom for varying the position of the 1 switch elements relatively to the cam ele- I ment, figures corresponding with the face of the clock on said in connection with V "on motor road vehicles comprising a complete clock mechanlsm and the combination pointer coacting with said figures so as to enable the time at which saidswitch elements shalloperate to be predetermined.

4. A time controlled electric switch for use electric lighting systems spindle,

part and an indicating I ments relatively to the cam element and means for setting same in a definite position so as to predetermine the time at which said switch elementsshall operate.

5. A time controlled electric switch for use in connection with electric lighting systems 'on motor road vehicles comprising a complete clock mechanism and the combination therewith'of a switch mechanism comprising a spindle arrangedparallel with the arbor of the clock mechanism, a pair of switch ele ments mounted on saidspindle so as to rotate therewith, a toothed wheel secured on the arbor of the hour hand, a toothed wheel loosely mounted on the spindle, an intermediate toothed wheel meshing with and connecting said toothed wheels, a cam element carried by the toothed wheel mounted on the means slidably mounted on the end ofthe spindle exterior to the "casing but hav ing no rotative movement apart therefrom for varying the position of the switch elements relatively to the cam element, and means on the casing for indicating the position of the switch mine the time at which the cam element shall close the circuit between the switch elements.

JAMES DURY HINDLEY-SMITH. SIDNEY HERBERT HOLMES.

lighting circuit elements so, as to predeter-I 

